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38o ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
tance, they hobbled their horses’ forelegs and left them,
and then came and sat down beside our fire and lit their
pipes. Their real errand seemed to be to examine my eyes,
for no sooner had I squatted down between two of them
than they begged me to take off my coloured goggles.
They were no doubt persuaded that all Europeans are fair
and have blue eyes, and consequently they were unable to
conceal their amazement when they found that my eyes
were as black as their own. Greatly taken aback, they
nodded to me in a friendly way, and went on talking eagerly
and without stopping.
Next they asked to be allowed to look at our weapons,
and Shagdur, with a great deal of ostentatious display,
showed them the points of his Russian magazine rifle, and
then I demonstrated to them the advantages of my Swedish
officer’s revolver. No sooner was the exhibition concluded
than they shook their heads and begged us to put the mur-
derous things away. At the same time they rose, evidently
thinking they would be safer at a distance, for they returned
at a slow and watchful pace to their horses, which they did
not mount until they thought themselves safe out of
range.
Half an hour later we were honoured with the visit of
four fresh guests, three dirty nomads, with long black hair,
and with a sword and long metal pipe hanging from their
belt, and a tall old Lama with short clipped hair, wearing
a red robe and a yellow cap. The only thing this good man
wanted to know was the strength of our main caravan,
and that we told him. On both sides there was no lack of
the customary forms of politeness, and neither party was
chary in its assurances of friendship and esteem. The old
man told us what was his own priestly rank, and whatever
it was it immensely impressed our modest Shereb Lama,
for he rose to his feet, placed the palms of his hands together
and touched the old man’s forehead with his own.
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